The following doesn’t belong in the query
- How much your family and friends love your work—unless those people are publishing industry professionals.
- How many times you’ve been rejected or close accepts.
- How much money you’ve invested in editors or editing.
- How much money you would pay to get published or invest in publicity.
- Your personal motivations and reasons for writing the book. These rarely matter to agents/editors making a decision on whether to read your manuscript or proposal. Leave that discussion for your interview with Terry Gross or others who are curious about your creative process. However, it’s totally fine to reference research you conducted or professional experience you have that helped you produce a more credible or authentic book.